


well i'm afraid so

by moltenvintagelacedress



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bittersweet, Break Up, Closure, M/M, well. my version of a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:48:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24814822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moltenvintagelacedress/pseuds/moltenvintagelacedress
Summary: “How are you, Ten? You doing alright?”He sighs, shrugs, looking elsewhere. “You were right, back when you said I wouldn’t find what I was looking for. Not doing music.”Now, an opening; Ten realized it was like a scar, skin forever damaged and a reminder of a place he didn’t quite remember, yet the flesh and blood underneath fresh and reborn. There was nothing to unearth, no new injury to report. Simply an indicator of life’s callousness.
Relationships: Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Qian Kun
Kudos: 5





	well i'm afraid so

**Author's Note:**

> just a little warm up type thing, inspired by old lovers in dressing rooms by keaton henson

_ 2:08 _ . Ten clicks his phone off, slipping it into his pocket as he turns to the boy in his dressing room.

“Hi,” The boy smiles, and it’s added to the list of things Ten knows he should remember from reliving and replaying, but can’t seem to recognize. He smiles back.

“It’s been a while, Sicheng.” Ten gestures to the couch stuffed into the corner of the room. “I saw you got engaged on Facebook?”

Sicheng laughs, unorthodox in the room, stepping to take a seat; he doesn’t take his jacket off.

“Yeah, Kun waited  _ months _ just because he wanted to do it while we were visiting my family.” A knowing look. (Ten wonders how he still seems to know him when Ten is hardly acquainted with his own reflection.)

“How are you, Ten? You doing alright?”

He sighs, shrugs, looking elsewhere. “You were right, back when you said I wouldn’t find what I was looking for. Not doing music.”

Now, an opening; Ten realized it was like a scar, skin forever damaged and a reminder of a place he didn’t quite remember, yet the flesh and blood underneath fresh and reborn. There was nothing to unearth, no new injury to report. Simply an indicator of life’s callousness.

“But did you enjoy the show?”

No answer. “I heard you on the radio a while back. I’m...proud, of you, Ten.”

There’s small talk, and there’s an elastic sort of feeling to their relationship. He was seventeen when he fell in love, newly eighteen when he was forced out, but friendships weren’t fragile, and weren’t quite indestructible either. Friends grow apart but rarely  _ break _ , and perhaps that’s all that Ten had been looking for.

“I have a question--was it really worth writing about?” Sicheng looks recognizable now, like he did when they were teenagers and hung out at football games and bad Mexican restaurants, when trusting was easy and loving easier.

“Of course,” Eyes widen, and he’s gone. “I mean, I don’t think I’d be here if I never wrote about it all.”

“But I heard you lost your record deal?” Ten just nods. “Oh.”

Sicheng talks a little while longer, talks about his house and his new dog and Ten listens, enraptured, because he doesn’t know the person in front of him. Their relationship is elastic but personalities are fluid, impermanent and constantly changing to fit whoever they’re acquainted with and Ten wonders if this is his chance to become reacquainted.

Then Sicheng is leaving, foreign smile on familiar lips and Ten wishes him a good night, says he will talk to him soon. Door closes; he’s left alone. Until the door opens once more, and Ten is gone.

**Author's Note:**

> had a longer fic i wanted to write based off this song and had it outlined but it never worked out


End file.
